APA Reference Style

In simple terms, referencing is the process of crediting the sources that have been used in academic work. When utilising sources that are the work of others, then it is necessary to acknowledge the original author, which can be done by properly referencing the source. Unless and until the information mentioned in your work is common knowledge, then it is necessary to reference it. If you feel to reference all of the sources that you have utilised in your work or have incorrectly referenced, it can result in your work being considered plagiarism. This is considered to be one of the most serious academic offences that can result in you losing points on your academic work or even expulsion. It is necessary to understand that information doesn't belong to anyone who just discovers it. If you have been caught plagiarising, then you should be ready to face detrimental consequences.

Aside from just avoiding plagiarism, it is also essential to include references as it can improve your academic work significantly. By correctly referencing all the sources, the validity of your statements and the conclusion you have drawn become much more authentic. For many students referencing can be a frustrating task; however, it is one of the best ways to improve the quality of your work.

APA referencing style is one of the many referencing styles that are used by students for the purpose of referencing their work. Currently, the most popular type in this is APA 6th edition and APA 7 edition. In this style, it is necessary to put the author's last name and the publishing date into parentheses. This is a reference in a style that has in-text citations as well as a reference list while also a format that must be followed for the paper itself.

This is a referencing style that is primarily utilised for social and behavioural sciences. This is a reference in a style that is used for the purpose of scientific publications and editorial efficiency. There are two types that are popularly used, which are the 7th edition as well as the 6th edition. Also, there is a specific format that must be followed for the APA referencing style. The guidelines presented for your work can also need for you to develop custom references.

Aside from the APA format, there are also various different types of reference styles that can be needed for your assignment. The different references in style can heavily depend on your discipline, University requirements, or the preference of your professor. Due to this, it is necessary for you to ensure the referencing style that you are to follow, which can be done by discussing it with your professor and consulting the department or the university officials can also help you to understand the specific guidelines that must be followed for your assignment. However, if no format has been specified, you must be careful with the type of referencing style you are utilising. During this, it is necessary you ensure that you are not mixing different referencing styles. Mixing different references in styles can create confusion which can have a negative impact on the points you can get.

Here are the top tips that you should follow when you want to develop an APA reference list within a paper. These should be followed for any direct quotes in which you utilise an image or utilise the author's idea:

• Intext must be inserted within the paragraph where the author's surname and the date of publication would be within parentheses.
• The Intex citation should always be at the end of a sentence and the author's first name should not be included in the citation.
• If the author's name has already been mentioned in the sentence it is only necessary to insert the date within parentheses.
• The page numbers from where the idea has been taken should also be included within parentheses and should come after the date.
• When there are more than three authors it is necessary to include the surnames of the first three authors which will be followed by 'et al'.
• If the author's surname and the date have already been mentioned it is not necessary to include other information on less until you are referring to a particular section of the source in which case you can cite the page number.
• The reference list must be presented in alphabetical order and it should be titled 'References' on a separate page at the end of the assignment.
• The page number should be mentioned for any electronic version of a source such as a pdf.
• The reference list should be provided on a new page.

It is necessary for you to understand the importance of referencing your work. Whenever you are in doubt that your work might be considered plagiarised, you should always opt to develop a citation list while also in-texting the work properly. Always remember that if the idea has not come from you directly then it isn't common knowledge and must be referenced.

For the purpose of developing your reference list, you must ensure that you utilise a wide range of relevant sources that you can include in your work. This can show that you have performed in-depth research on your chosen topic which is a surefire way to impress your reader. The reference page you develop should include a variety of reference types such as it should consist of books, websites, academic journals, videos and many other sources of information.

Additionally, for the purpose of ensuring that your reader will have a pleasant time going over your work, it is necessary for you to refer to the APA formatting style. On an APA reference list, a list of all the sources that have contributed to the work you have developed should be included and placed on a new page at the end of your assignment. The title of the page should be referenced and should be Centre-aligned. Additionally, it is necessary for all the references to have a hanging indentation. This means that the second and subsequent lines of each of the references should have half inch distance from the margin.

It might also be necessary for you to provide a complete list of your bibliography. The difference between a bibliography and a reference list is that the reference page only references the resources which are utilised directly in the paper or those that are used for in-text citations. On the other hand, for an APA bibliography it is necessary that you develop a comprehensive list of all the resource materials that you have used for the purpose of completing the assignment this should also include the ones that you are not in texting. It could include books, journals, articles and many more. These are all the things that you have consulted throughout your research process and utilised in developing a deep or understanding of the topic.

Armenia, S., Dangelico, R. M., Nonino, F., &Pompei, A. (2019). Sustainable project management: A conceptualization-oriented review and a framework proposal for future studies. Sustainability, 11(9), 2664. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11092664

Please note that while utilising journals and websites for your references it is necessary that you provide the URL of the website that you have utilised. In the case of a journal, it is necessary that you look for its DOI or Digital object identifier which can be utilised in the place of an URL. However, DOI is much more accurate which can help to locate the article full stop this is due to the fact that the DOI of an article remains the same where as it can be possible that the URL can change. A DOI of an article is generally located at the very top of the page of an online journal article.

The DOI or the URL of the resource must be the very last part of your citation for the website or online journal that you have utilised. Nevertheless, for the purpose of developing an Intex citation for a website, you must follow similar guidelines that have been established for journals which are to put the author's last name first which will be followed by a comma and then the year of publication. After this, if you wish you could also follow this with a comma and the page number from where the information was taken.

Along with the guidelines that have been mentioned for the reference page and in texting it is also necessary for you to properly format the rest of your paper so that it is according to the APA format. These guidelines can include the presentation, font type, line spacing, margins and page header all of which will ensure that the assignment you develop is according to the APA formatting style.

Below is the information that you will need to keep in mind while formatting your paper:

• 1-inch margins on all sides
• Use Times New Roman and a font size of 12.
• The entire people should be double spaced
• The page number should be included at the very top of the page and should be aligned to the right.
• The title of the page should be in capitals and should be 50 characters or less. Moreover, in the header, it is necessary to include a running head which will be aligned to the left. Running head is required for every professional paper that you develop.
• The paper should mainly include 3 main sections which are the title page, main body and reference
• The cover page of your paper which is also known as the title page should include various elements such as a running head, page number, page title, author name and institutional affiliation.
• If infographics, tables or charts are used then it is necessary that you add them in the appendix section at the end of the paper.

All of these are the formatting elements that you should keep in mind while developing your research paper. It is necessary for you to take care of all of these before submitting your paper. However, you should also consult with your professor or university for any specific guidelines provided by them. In such cases, it is necessary to follow the guidelines provided to you by your professor or the university.

• The title of the paper should be centrally aligned and must be written with a combination of lower and uppercase letters.
• It should not be italicized, bolded or underlined.
• A font size of 12 points should be used.
• The title should be a maximum of two lines and not more than 12 words long.
• It should not include abbreviations.

paper then your full name should be written on the title. Also, there is no need to include titles or degrees such as PhD. After this, it is also necessary to place the institutional affiliation. If you are a student then this would be the name of your school, college or university that you are attending. Finally, make sure that the entire assignment including the title page and the reference list is double-spaced.Along with these, it is also necessary to place the author's name. If you have developed the

In the year 2019, the American psychological association introduced the 7th edition of its publication manual. The latest edition of referencing includes various updated rules and regulations for making the referencing process much more efficient. Revised writing guidelines have also been provided in the publication manual.

If you have a doubt about how to reference using the APA style then you can always consult with your instructor for help. Most of the guidelines are similar to the sex edition however there are some differences in the 7th edition. Here are the most notable changes:

• While referencing a book with APA style it is not needed to include the publisher's location.
• While referencing a journal it is necessary to:
  ○ Format the device as DOIs as URLs.
  ○ Do not include the 'DOI' prior to the DOI URL
  ○ You must also include an issue number if it is mentioned.
• While developing a full reference of a website does not include the "Retrieved from" before the URL.
• While referencing an ebook do not indicate the platform, format or device.
• The figures are formatted similarly to notes with a number and title at the very top. A note under the figure or table must also be provided instead of a caption.
• The figures are formatted similarly to notes with a number and title at the very top. A note under the figure or table must also be provided instead of a caption.
• It is not necessary to include running heads on student papers until the instructor has asked for it specifically.
• Various new guidelines have also been added in the 7th edition that did not exist before. These are:
  ○ Annotated bibliographies
  ○ Referencing social media posts, podcasts and other modern sources.
  ○ Only a single space is placed after sentences.

Some helpful guidelines have also been provided by the American psychological association regarding the best practices that must be followed when performing academic writing or conducting scientific research. One of the most essential things that must be ensured is that bias is not present in your writing. Here are some of the best approaches to avoid bias in your paper:

• Avoid generalisation and be specific in your writing.
• It is not necessary to label people as test subjects.
• When writing about the participants that have contributed to your study it is necessary to acknowledge them appropriately. They must be termed as 'participants' instead of 'subjects'.
• The utilisation of active voice is recommended over passive voice.
• Always maintain caution when discussing topics such as sexual orientation, ethnicity and racial identity, disabilities and many more.
• Never modified quotations to better meet your needs or fit your conclusion.